Disposable beverage container marker

ABSTRACT

The present application relates generally to markers for beverage containers. Specifically, this application relates to beverage container markers that are appropriate and designed for marking one or more beverage containers for a single or limited use prior to disposal. Embodiments of the present invention are configured to identify, through one or more visual, tactile or other characteristics, a beverage container to a user or group of users.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to markers for beveragecontainers. Specifically, this application relates to beverage containermarkers that are appropriate and designed for marking one or morebeverage containers for a single or limited use prior to disposal.Embodiments of the present invention are configured to identify, throughone or more visual, tactile or other characteristics, a beveragecontainer to a user or group of users.

BACKGROUND

In group or other social situations where participants are providedbeverages containers (e.g., cans, cups, bottles, glasses, mugs) or othercontainers (e.g., jars, jugs, buckets) that are intended for a specificparticipant or specific individual, the age old problem of identifyingwho a container belongs to is ever present. As the duration of thesituation increases, so does the likelihood of participants mixing upwhat container belongs to what participant.

The most common example of this is at a party where a host will providenumerous identical containers (e.g., cans, bottles, plastic cups, wineglasses) to everyone at the party. As the party endures, and partygoerspickup and put down their identical containers, identifying exactly whatcontainer belongs to which partygoer becomes increasingly difficult.

In order to solve this problem, the use of beverage markers has becomecommonplace. In general, these markers are rings or other preformedmarkers that are specifically designed to be retained upon a certaintype of container (e.g., wine glass markers). These markers generallyconsist of a trinket or charm that is used to visually identify themarker, and by association the container the marker is attached to, toan individual.

In each of these prior art markers, the intention is to allow for themarker to be attached through a reusable means, such as a hook and loopattachment, and are constructed from materials that allow for the markerto be utilized repeatedly. While these prior art embodiments may workwell for small groups, these markers are not intended for single-use. Inlarge groups, where cleanup and reclamation of these markers may bedifficult, these markers are not ideal and require individuals toremember to gather all the markers up at the end of the event. Further,since these markers are generally formed with a particular attachmentmeans, each specific marker is generally restricted to use with alimited number of containers.

Finally, it should be noted that none of these prior art markers areintended for, or work appropriately with, cans, such as soda cans andthe like, that have pull top tabs or other tab top openings. Currentofferings not only are inadequate or unable to attach to such beveragecontainers, but even where they could be attached, they would make itnearly impossible to consume the beverage in the can withoutinterfering.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a beverage container markerappropriate and configured for marking one or more beverage containersfor a single or limited use prior to disposal. These and other featuresand advantages of the present invention will be explained and willbecome obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of theinvention that follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide abeverage container marker appropriate and configured for marking one ormore beverage containers for a single or limited use prior to disposal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a disposablecontainer marker, includes: a deformable elongated body configured todeform around a portion of a container in a manner such that saiddeformable elongated body is retained upon said portion of saidcontainer; and one or more identifiable characteristics, wherein saidone or more identifiable characteristics is configured to allow anindividual to identify said container.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformableelongated body is comprised of a biodegradable material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one ofsaid one or more identifiable characteristics is a charm, wherein saidcharm is attached to an end of the deformable elongated body.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the charm serves tovisually identify said disposable container marker as belonging to aspecific individual.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one ofsaid one or more identifiable characteristics is a tactile identifierextending from at least a portion of said deformable elongated body asto allow the disposable container marker as belonging to a specificindividual through touch.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one ofsaid one or more identifiable characteristics is a coloring present inthe deformable elongated body.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coloring servesto visually identify said disposable container marker as belonging to aspecific individual.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformableelongated body and the one or more identifiable characteristics areformed such that the disposable container marker resembles an objectwhen deformed around said portion of said container.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the object thedisposable container marker resembles is an animal, shape or figure.

The foregoing summary of the present invention with the preferredembodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that theembodiments of the invention thus described may be further modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a detailed perspective view of a disposable beverage containermarker, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a disposable beverage container marker, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a disposable beverage container marker, inaccordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disposable beverage container markerattached to a beverage container, in accordance with an alternateembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of a disposable beverage container markerattached to a beverage container, in accordance with an alternateembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a disposable container marker attached to abeverage container, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a disposable container marker attached to abeverage container, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a disposable container marker attached to abeverage container, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a disposable container marker attached to abeverage container, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of a disposable container marker attached to abeverage container, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application relates generally to markers for beveragecontainers. Specifically, this application relates to beverage containermarkers that are appropriate and designed for marking one or morebeverage containers for a single or limited use prior to disposal.Embodiments of the present invention are configured to identify, throughone or more visual, tactile or other characteristics, a beveragecontainer to a user or group of users.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the beveragecontainer markers described herein are configured to allow simple andeasy use with containers of all types for the purpose of identifying anindividual that is associated with the particular container the beveragecontainer marker is attached to. While the description herein refersgenerally to embodiments as beverage container markers, one of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate that embodiments of the presentinvention could be used with any type of container, and embodiments ofthe present invention are contemplated for use with any type ofcontainer.

In general, embodiments of the present invention are comprised of adeformable elongated body component and one or more identifiablecharacteristic components. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a beverage container marker is comprised of a rectangulardeformable elongated body with an identifiable characteristic, in theform of a charm, attached at each of the narrow ends of the rectangulardeformable elongated body.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deformableelongated body is configured to be deformed around a portion of acontainer in such a manner as to allow the beverage container marker tobe retained upon the portion of a container. In this manner, thedeformable elongated body is designed to act as a means for retainingitself upon a container. Advantageously, embodiments of the beveragecontainer marker described herein does not need any additional retentionmeans or any mating of two or more components in order to secure itselfupon a container. In preferred embodiments, the deformable elongatedbody is configured to allow for the deformation to be undone in order toallow for the removal of the beverage container marker from thecontainer it was attached to.

In general, the deformable elongated body is rectangular in shape, witha length sufficient to allow for the deformation of the elongated bodyaround multiple container types. For instance, in certain embodiments,the deformable elongated body may be approximately 6 inches in length by¼ inch in height, allowing for the deformable elongated body to bedeformed around a large variety of containers (e.g., soda cans, bottles,wide-mouth bottles, plastic cups, wine glasses). In certain embodiments,the deformable elongated body may be configured to be deformed aroundcomponents unique to certain container types (e.g., soda can pull tabs,containers with handles). In these embodiments, the deformable elongatedbody may be specially shaped to allow for deformation around or uponthese unique components. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous shapes and sizes that could beutilized with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments ofthe present invention are contemplated for use with deformable elongatedbodies of any shape and size.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the identifiablecharacteristics of the beverage container marker are one or morecomponents or characteristics configured to allow for the identificationof the beverage container as belonging to a specific individual.Identifiable characteristics may be configured to provide suchidentification through visual means, tactile means, olfactory means,audible means or any combination thereof. In preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, the identifiable characteristics may include, butare not limited to, charms attached to one or more ends of thedeformable elongated body, color coatings, tactile elements (e.g., roughsurfaces, soft surfaces, feathered surfaces, sticky surfaces), audiblecomponents (e.g., components that generate specific sounds that can bedifferentiated from one another in order to allow identification of thebeverage container as belonging to a specific individual), or anycombination thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the charms could bemulti-dimensional and include moving or animated components. Forinstance, charms could be comprised of simple objects, such as shapes(e.g., stars, squares, circles) or they could be comprised of complexcomponents (e.g., googly eyes, snow-globe like components). One ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous typesof multi-dimensional charms that could be utilized with embodiments ofthe present invention, and embodiments of the present invention arecontemplated for use with any type of multi-dimensional charms.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the charms, orother identifiable characteristics, may be interchangeable or otherwisecustomizable. For instance, adhesives or other attachment means may beutilized to attach various identifiable characteristics to the elongatedbody. In this manner, individuals are presented the opportunity tocustomize their own beverage container marker. One of ordinary skill inthe art would appreciate that there are numerous ways that theidentifiable characteristics could be customized, and embodiments of thepresent invention are contemplated for use with any manner forcustomizing identifiable characteristics.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, the deformableelongated body and the identifiable characteristics may form together tovisually represent an object or element that allows for theidentification of the container to which the disposable beveragecontainer marker is attached to as belonging to a specific individual.For instance, a disposable beverage container marker may be formed insuch a manner as to look like a snake, with the deformable elongatedbody representing the snake's body and a charm attached to one end ofthe deformable elongated body, where the charm is in the shape and formof a snake's head. In this manner, even when the disposable beveragecontainer marker is attached to a container, the appearance of theembodiments still represents that of a snake. In alternativeembodiments, the appearance may only be identifiable when the disposablebeverage container marker is attached to a container. For instance, inone embodiment, a deformable elongated body with charms attached to eachend in the shape of bunny ears is provided, where the appearance of twobunny ears arising from the container is only present when thedeformable elongated body is deformed around a container (e.g., soda canpull tab). In other embodiments, the elongated body and the identifiablecharacteristics could form an identifiable shape (e.g., squares,rectangles, circles) or figures. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous objects and types of objects thatcould be visually represented through embodiments of the presentinvention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated foruse in visually representing any appropriate object or object type.

In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, thedisposable nature of the disposable beverage container marker describedherein is improved through the use of biodegradable materials,recyclable materials, or other materials appropriate for disposal orrecycling after single or limited usage. For instance, embodiments ofthe present invention may be comprised substantially of biodegradable orrecyclable materials, such as cardboard, lightweight and/or commonplaceplastics and metals (e.g., tin, aluminum, copper), cottons, linens, orany combination thereof. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous materials that could be utilized withembodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the presentinvention are contemplated for use with any appropriate material orcombination of materials.

Exemplary Embodiments

Turning now to FIGS. 1-5, embodiments of the present invention areshown. In these embodiments, a disposable beverage container marker isshown, formed from a deformable elongated body 101 and two visuallyidentifiable characteristics in the form of charms 102 attached to eachend of the deformable elongated body 101.

FIGS. 4-5 in particular show the embodiment of the present invention inuse with containers of various types. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of thepresent invention as attached to an ordinary water bottle, with thedeformable elongated body portion deformed around the lower portion ofthe top of the bottle. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the presentinvention as attached to an ordinary soda can, with the deformableelongated body portion deformed around the pull tab of the soda can.

While embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use asbeverage container markers, similar embodiments of the present inventioncould be utilized for numerous other purposes, such as inarts-and-crafts projects, or to entertain children. Other uses mightinclude, but are not limited to, marking toys or other belongings asbelonging to a particular individual, group or party, being used as ahairband for a doll or young child, and joining together two or moreitems in a removable manner. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that there are numerous uses for embodiments of the presentinvention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated foruse in any appropriate manner.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis detailed description. The invention is capable of myriadmodifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings anddescriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and notrestrictive.

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 12. A method for identifying ownership of a beveragecontainer with a pull tab opener through use of a disposable beveragecontainer marker, said method comprising the steps of: deforming adeformable elongated body portion of said disposable beverage containermarker around a pull tab portion of said beverage container with a pulltab opener in a manner such that said deformable elongated body isretained upon said portion of said beverage container solely by way ofthe deformation and the deformation is visibly identifiable object; andidentifying ownership of said beverage container with a pull tab openervia the visibly identifiable object created by the deformation of saiddisposable beverage container marker.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein said visibly identifiable object is an animal shape created bythe deformation of said disposable container marker is further madeidentifiable by one or more identifiable characteristics attached to oneor more narrow ends of said rectangular elongated body portion of saiddeformable elongated body portion, where the identifiablecharacteristics further the animal-like appearance or the animal shapecreated by the deformation.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein saidvisibly identifiable object is further made identifiable via one or moreidentifiable characteristics attached to one or more narrow ends of saidrectangular elongated body portion of said deformable elongated bodyportion, where the identifiable characteristics further the appearanceof the object created by the deformation.